Entry Level 1911

I'm looking at getting a fairly cheap entry level 1911 but I'm not sure what brads are decent quality and alot of thw 1911's I see are 1k+ in price btu I know there have to be cheaper ones out there, I'd prefer something in stainless and yes I know that it'll be more but is it possible to get a decent stainless 1911 for $600 to $800?

Look for a decent used Norinco. Should be able to get one for $4-$500 or less with a little shopping. They'll shoot good stock but when you want to customize them a bit you can add on as you can afford it, they're a good base gun for customization and the right gunsmith can turn them into whatever type specialty pistol you want if that's your desire.

All 1911a1 parts interchange with them as they're an exact copy with very good steel. One of the non US made guns that top level custom gun smiths feel are of sufficient quality to work on.

Look for a colt in stainless can be found around 800
In other than SS RIA and the American Classic both are under 500 and Both great pistols American Classic is blue and RIA is a parkized finish. America classic made my MetroArms and RIA bt Armscore. Both are in Phillipines , Taurus I belive not worth the money Has gotton to high in price and not truely 1911 compatiable , Warrenty service is so so. You need to do home work and then decide.

Probably a Norinco. Are they really up to $400-$500 used though? Geeze. I seem to recall, just a year or two ago, they were $250-$300 new.

Heard nothing but good about the RIA 'tactical' 1911's. Should run around $550.

This probably won't help...but someone in here had a High Standard Crusader Combat that I was kinda interested in-no frills, low price, and it seems to get pretty good reviews (but I was interested in black).

They're kinda hard to find, but they do make a variety of finishes, but don't know 'bout stainless.

Not a lot of pics, but here's their site: http://www.highstandard.com/m1911.html

As others have mentioned, I've heard good things 'bout RIA, and a local gun shop once had one in stainless that looked nice and the price was reasonable.

i saw an ad in the new issue of Shotgun News for a Para that said the MSRP was 599. The ad was in the first few pages. And I believe it was called the Expert.

I've been very pleased with my taurus pt1911. you should be able to find a used stainless one in your price range no problem. online reviews indicate taurus is a mixed bag, but the 1911's seem to be better than average for taurus. but to each his own. there are plenty of people who have very passionate opinions against taurus. many of them have even owned the guns they are flaming. I also hear good things about the sti spartan.

$1000 is an entry level 1911! LOL. Alot of work goes into building a 1911, thats expensive. Folks building $3K 1911's aren't ripping anyone off.


Mine usually get new 47D Wilson mags, 16-18# Wilson recoil springs, and Alumagrips nearly imediately.

Then theres the eventual replacement of the safety, ejector, and slide stop lever to get rid of the cast stuff. Remove the shwartz safety.

Shoot 2000 rounds.

If the gun proves reliable at this point then I send it off for a modern Melonite refinishing. (1911's rust for fun)


Do the math on that. I spend alot on a 1911 before I trust it for carry. Then again it's competeing with my Glock.


My favorites to start with:

Kimber Custom II 5", if you want front grip checkering and night sights then TLE II.

Springfield GI or Loaded 5".

Colt 5"

http://www.gunsamerica.com/userimages/1147/976731221/wm_md_1150604.jpg

Colt O1091 Stainless

$759.00 on Gunsamerica.com

-skeeter_08

Heard nothing but good about the RIA 'tactical' 1911's. Should run around $550.

i have 3 of these, 2 matte nickel and 1 parkerized. i can't say enough good about them.

there are 1911's out there that are quality guns for reasonable prices... Taurus, LSI... etc

bring on the haters...lol

I just picked up my RIA tactical from Sarco. $394 for the gun, under $10 to ship to my ffl and $35 to transfer it. Hopefully I'll be able to put a box or 2 of shells through it tomorrow. If it works as well as I hear they do it'll be one heck of a good deal.

My RIA GI is awesome. I enjoy shooting it as much as any of my other 1911's. Duracoat in HK black and new black aluminum grips make it look sweet. Can't beat the price.

I'm a big fan of RIA's, but they don't make 'em in stainless. Springfield Armory has some damn nice stainless 1911 models in that price range. Look at the Stainless Loaded model.

Go to GunsAmerica http://www.gunsamerica.com/. At top of the page select advanced search. fill in 1911 and set you price from $350 to $750. Select conditions down to used. I got three pages, many in stainless. SA Mil Spec looks pretty good to me. I have the SA Loaded and it is a fine handgun.

Probably a Norinco. Are they really up to $400-$500 used though? Geeze. I seem to recall, just a year or two ago, they were $250-$300 new.

The last time new Norincos were $250 was 1993/4 -which was their new price then. They were banned in 1994 and have not been sold new in the US in 15 years. They are new in Canada for slightly less, but no way to import them.

They make very good guns for building up. Excellent condition ones will run you $400 to $500 as mentioned. The big advantage of Norincos over newer price-competitors is the quality of the steel - it is forged and sturdy vs. lesser cast components coming from Brazil and the Philippines that are the bones of inexpensive 1911s new today.

But for the OP, I would have a hard time arguing against one of these two methods of budget purchase:

1) A real Colt like pictured above, 70 or 80, stainless or blue. Great guns. My fifth 1911 was finally a Colt, and it was not that expensive ($525 last winter) - a plain Jane series 70. Now my 2nd favorite, and by far the best value/fun/quality for the buck. The only thing better was three times the price.

2) A competently built Caspian kitted out the way you want. Caspian makes perhaps the best components in the 1911 world and for a custom build, there is nothing better to start with. Find one used on GunBroker and save a tone of money.

Another vote for the RIA's, got 2 of them, FS Bi-tones 5", love 'em. Shoot the same as my SA Mil-spec. Anyone got a RIA FS Match 5" ($749.00), or the RIA Citidel 6" ($949.00)?, Can anyone do a range report on either of the 2?

I've shot a number of RIA's and they are great. I'm personally very happy with my Charles Daly EMS 4". I've shot one Taurus and had problems. I've shot 4 Kimbers and ALL had problems. I've owned a Colt LW Commander and cracked the frame at the slide stop. At about 17,000 rounds!

John

Check out this link. Centerfire has some great deals on the RIA 1911s. http://www.centerfiresystems.com/1911.aspx.

Springfield's GI model won't break the bank and it's a good shooter.

Springfield mil-spec, Taurus, RIA, anything but a kimber or colt please. when you buy one of these 2 you will soon be at the 3K mark just to get through a full 8rd mag IMHO they are junk had one of each and will never let anyone i know willing buy one.

Can't buy a new norinco in the usa. get the taurus pt1911.

anything but a kimber or colt please. when you buy one of these 2 you will soon be at the 3K mark just to get through a full 8rd mag


Amusing, :scrutiny:

Nearly 900 rds through my My Raptor II, yes a series II with ZERO issues and the only extra money I put into it was to add mag base pads to protect the mags when I released em into the dirt. Yep dropped em right in the dirt and they're still going.

I will offer this up, of those 900 rds nearly 800 would have been 230gr FMJ while the rest are Fed Hydrashoks


I better by a lottery ticket, I guess I'm just freakin lucky. :evil:

Rock Island Armory GI model. $400.00 .

I've been waiting to see the new 1911s from Legacy (the folks who distribute Puma and Howa rifles, among lots of other goodies). I happened to see two in stock at my local dealer yesterday. They had the full length model as well as their Commander sized model. They were each priced at $550.

I took a careful look at the Commander model and was frankly so impressed that it was all I could do to leave without taking it with me. The grip safety was fitted very nicely. The barrel ramp was polished. Novak style rear sight. Fit and finish on everything looked pretty good. The business end of the barrel assembly looked very good. Some sort of bushingless arrangement with a full length guide rod. The thing felt as solid as a rock.

I'm not trying to be a snob or anything, but I personally wouldn't carry a Taurus or RIA, or other similarly priced 1911. I just wouldn't trust my life to the build quality of a $400 1911. And for what the Taurus cost, you can just about buy a "real" 1911. (I'm not anti-Taurus. I've owned several of their pistols and have one of their Thunderbolt rifles on order now.) That all being said, I'd absolutely carry one of the Citadel's in a minute! YMMV

They apparently do not offer a stainless model.

-Matt